Shadow Chasing
Stranger was neutered about a month ago. It took him three weeks to heal (ripped out his stitches the first time we tried to remove the cone). It was three weeks of cartoonish stumbling around the apartment in a perfect impersonation of the lovechild of a satellite and a silent movie star. It was also three weeks of limited play and much pent up energy. He begin to develop a fixation with light and shadows. I should also mention that we had used a laser pointer that advertised itself as a pet exerciser.
Neurosis walks a fine line between endearment and concern, whether in humans or their canine better halves. We found it cute at first, “our nutty puppy” we’d awww. But after a couple weeks of regular exercise and routine, he was still at it. Pouncing at beams of lights and biting at the shadow of a shoe.
I went to the temple of google for aid, hoping to consult the priests of forums, the shrines of vets with free time. The internet can make a hypochondriac of any unsuspecting searcher, and I was overwhelmed with the possibilities. The speculative causes of shadow chasing ranged from minor convulsions in the canine brain to puppy puberty, citing shadow chasing as merely a growing pain. One vet said laser pointers can be used as a good training tool, while another forbade them. Another man lamented having to put down his dog because of her “obsessive compulsive disorder.” One couple had used a laser pointer to motivate their dog to tear up some old linoleum flooring. The most common and least disconcerting explanation was a lack of exercise.
Especially in cold weather, we as dog owners are prone to neglecting dog walks. The unspent energy begins to manifest itself in destructive behavior and unhealthy fixations.
In addition, many sites warn not to give your dog attention while he is shadow chasing, in case you accidentally affirm the behavior.
In our case, we’ve been diligent with our dog walking schedule, and we’re staying away from flashlights and laser pointers.
So far, the shadow chasing is on the decline.
Has anyone else experienced this with their dogs?
May 7th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Can’t say that I have had to deal with this so i have no real advice. I hope he is completely healed from his neuter and good for you for having him done!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Hi,
My dog, Cali, is a year and a half and she has had a fixation with shadows for some time now. She gets regular exercise every day, I run with her at least 3 miles, rollerblade, bike with her and if not that she runs around the dog park for at least an hour, usually more, anyway, you get the picture. I have been to a beginner dog training class, I have done hours of web research and her shadow fixation has not seemed to get any better. Once she fixates on a shadow she acts as if nothing else exists, she ignores me, dogs, toys, or anything for that matter. I read one of Cesar Milan’s books and there was one dog that seemed to have a similar problem, his diagnosis was that the dog was insecure. This dog was always being dominated by other dogs so, to him, shadows were an opportunity for him to dominate something, it was a sure thing and so he began to fixate on them. Cesar would tug on his leash in a way that would not hurt the dog but just lightly remove him from the shadow and after some repetition the dog stopped going after the shadows. I have tried this with Cali and she still has not stopped. I have tried to distract her with toys which does not really help. So far the best thing that I have found to control her fixation is to use treats as positive reinforcement for her “come here” command. As her response to the command gets stronger with the treat rewards I can control her fixation on shadows by allowing her to willingly remove herself from the situation and focus on me. It takes ALOT of repetition and patience on my part and on her part. I still continue with other methods of distracting her with toys and tugging on her leash but the “come here” command has the best affect so far.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
i think i have to disagree with the dog whisperer on this one, atleast in my dogs case. Stranger is not consistently dominated by other dogs.
i think its amazing how devoted you’ve been to taking care of Cali! Would you mind if i submitted your story to our resident expert? they may have some clarity on the matter.